There is evidence that the mikvah was being used in the first century CE, and evidence of a mikvah bath is found at the ruins of Masada (see “Israel”). The idea of using a bath and immersion in water as a means of repentance was used in ancient times and is common today to cleanse and prepare for prayer.
In Christianity, water is used in the baptism ritual, which is the sacrament of regeneration and admission into the Christian community. In this manner, the person being baptized receives a new and spiritual life. A baptism can be performed with symbolic sprinkling of or actual immersion in water.
Christianity and Judaism share many roots—in worship, liturgy, and rituals. Of course, there remain much controversy and grounds for scholarly debate about two thousand years of history, belief, and learning. But I will leave the debate, research, and controversy to the scholars and end with a blessing common to both the Jewish and Christian traditions.
I have heard the Priestly Blessing recited by rabbis at synagogue services for my entire life, and I hear it now at many of the church services I attend. Also known as the Aaronic Benediction, it is the blessing of the Lord with which Aaron and his sons were to bless the children of Israel (Numbers 6:24-26):
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Jews, Jesus, and Christianity
Most modern Jews would agree that Jesus was a great man, a teacher, and even a prophet who traveled the land performing wonderful, miraculous deeds and preached love and kindness. Christians recognize Jesus as Christ, the Son of God, their savior, and the Messiah.
The Jewish people believe that when the Messiah comes there will be an end to world suffering. They look to Isaiah 2:4, which says, “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” When the Messiah comes, the world will no longer be a place of hunger, hatred, and injustice, and the wolf, lamb, lion, and calf will all live together. Jews do not believe, therefore, that the Messiah has come, and they do not recognize Jesus as their savior or as the Son of God.
Thus, Jews who believe in either the coming of the Messiah or a messianic age continue to await the event, while Christians await the second coming of their Messiah.
Fortunately, there are signs of growing understanding, respect, and acceptance among many members of the Jewish and Christian faiths. Ongoing affirmations between leaders of Catholic and Jewish groups indicate agreement that both faiths are beloved of God and assured of God’s grace. In many communities, interfaith councils and coalitions of religious congregations work to promote and maintain religious tolerance, mutual support, political action, and education. I have had the privilege to serve on such an interfaith group as a representative of my own congregation, and found it quite interesting and rewarding.
If Jews are permitted to believe what they believe, and Christians are permitted to believe what they believe, all will benefit. History has shown that when one group forces their beliefs on another, serious problems occur.
Because of the nature of American society, many Christians and Jews work together, socialize, live in the same neighborhoods, and send their children to the same schools. If Christians attend a synagogue service for a bar or bat mitzvah, a wedding, or a funeral service, they will recognize or be comfortable with many of the things being said. After all, such ceremonies use the same prayers and the same books of Moses that Jesus once studied. When Jews attend the church of a friend for a confirmation, wedding, funeral, or first communion, it’s a little different; as guests they will not take communion, kneel, cross themselves, or actively participate in the Christian New Testament liturgy. It is foreign to their beliefs to do so. Many Bible stories, prayers, and psalms, however, are familiar to them.
Fortunately, Christians and Jews begin their relationship with several things in common: the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), the Ten Commandments, a Sabbath day, the importance of charitable giving, and similar versions of what is known as the golden rule. Most important, we share the same God.
During interfaith services, and when attending community services in response to local, national, and international disasters or tragedies, Christians and Jews as well as members of other faiths find themselves praying together. Under such circumstances, members of all faiths seem to rise to the occasion, focus on what they have in common, and worship together.
I hope that we continue to look to our similarities instead of our differences, and I pray that someday we all live together in peace, or as we say in Hebrew, shalom.
The Jewish Religion
From Orthodox . . .
Until the early nineteenth century, virtually every Jew was an observant Jew as we would describe one today. A Polish Jew and a Persian Jew would follow similar rituals, even though the former might be described as Ashkenazic (originating from Eastern Europe) and the latter as Sephardic (originating from Spain, Southern Europe, the Near East, or North Africa (see “Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews”).
Orthodox Judaism resists change of its beliefs and practices. A central tenet of Orthodox Judaism is that the law of God was given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and the Torah, therefore, is divine. Thus, no law derived from the Torah should be tampered with, regardless of modern lifestyles, needs, or changes in society. Because of this, Orthodox rabbis believe that rulings of other Jewish groups are based on a different set of guidelines and are therefore not valid.
As in any group, in Orthodox Judaism, there is a range of beliefs and teachings, from ultra-Orthodox (see “Hasidim and Hasidism”) to more modern or centrist Orthodox. However, the traditional body of Jewish writings and the codification of law and practice remain the basis for belief, practice, and decision making, regardless of changes in modern life or personal conscience.
There are many rules that govern the practice of Judaism. An Orthodox Jew must learn these rules, which is no simple task, and keeping a given rule is not optional; that person must decide how best to apply the rule.
Since Orthodox Jews traditionally do not travel by car on the Sabbath, their synagogues are generally located within walking distance of home. Thus, while the congregations may be small, there are a significant number of them. The Orthodox Union, founded one hundred years ago, serves as the central organization for affiliated member synagogues in North America. Besides serving as a central coordinating organization, the Orthodox Union provides educational and social services, programs, and activities. There are more than one thousand affiliated and independent Orthodox Jewish congregations in the United States.
To Reform . . .
After the French Revolution and other political and social movements across the globe, many Jews began to modify certain religious and ceremonial practices, and a new movement in Judaism emerged. The principal and innovative difference was the belief that the Bible was not divine. From this major alteration in philosophy came changes in the rituals and practices of Judaism, some quite drastic (at one point, some Jews even celebrated the Sabbath on Sunday instead of Saturday).
Religious services began to be conducted in the local language instead of strictly in Hebrew; men and women were seated together; musical instruments provided accompaniment to the cantor and congregation; and restrictions on diet